Meat pigeons: description of the 9 best breeds, cultivation methods and breeding

Meat breeds of pigeons, unlike ordinary ones, almost do not fly, and weigh from 0.5 to 1 kg. Birds are bred for tasty, nutritious and dietary meat. Pigeons eat the same thing as chickens or partridges, that is, cereal grains. The advantages of pigeon breeding are minimal feed costs, quick weight gain in meat birds. The only disadvantage of breeding pigeons is the too high price of thoroughbreds.

Features of the meat direction

Meat pigeons have long been bred in the Mediterranean countries. Pigeon breeding is common in Western Europe and the USA.In Russia and Ukraine, meat pigeon breeds are rare. Although it takes not so much money to breed these birds, the profitability of such a business is high, of course, if there is a sales market. Pigeon meat (breast) is a popular restaurant dish in many European countries.

Meat pigeon breeds are divided into three types or groups:

• gigantic (giants) - big, heavy, fly poorly;
• chicken - similar to chickens, prolific, have a wide chest;
• meat - similar to wild pigeons, but larger.

There are about 70 breeds of meat pigeons. Such birds almost do not fly. All of them are distinguished by precocity, that is, rapid weight gain, as well as a relatively large body weight (when compared with wild flying relatives). Pigeons of meat breeds weigh from 0.5 to 1 kg or more. The slaughter yield of meat is almost 70 percent. Birds are sent for slaughter two months after birth.For their maintenance, special dovecotes are built. Birds are fed with crushed grain mixtures.

Popular meat pigeon breeds

For breeding for meat, it is important to purchase special pigeon meat breeds. Such birds quickly gain weight on conventional feed and almost do not get sick.

King

This gigantic breed was bred in the USA specifically for the sake of pigeon meat. King pigeons, as a rule, have white plumage, but there are individuals with a silvery, variegated color. The mass of birds is 850-1050 grams. Kings have a compact body, a short raised tail, and a wide chest.

Pros and consmaximum weight is reached at 2 months of age;For a year, the female incubates about 16 chicks.lively, aggressive character;relatively high price for a pair.I like it I don't like it

Strasser

The breeders of this gigantic breed, according to different versions, are Germans, Czechs and Australians. Strasser pigeons have an interesting color of feathers: a white body, variegated gray-black wings and tail, and a dark head. Weigh - from 500 to 900 grams and more.

Pros and consby the end of 4 weeks of life, strainers weigh almost 0.6 kg;during the season, the female displays up to 12 pigeons.pugnacious and temperamental character;pair productivity drops sharply after 6 years;Strassers are not recommended to cross with other breeds.I like1 Dislike

Texan

Birds of this gigantic breed look like their wild relatives - rock doves. They have a small head, gray, variegated or reddish plumage. Only the body is larger, and the chest is wide. Texans were bred in the US for meat. Weigh about 705-900 grams.

Pros and consprecocity;calm character;the female breeds about 24 chicks per year.high cost of a pair;popular only in the USA, in Europe - a rarity.I like it I don't like it

Roman giant

This is an ancient Italian breed of pigeons, which was later perfected in France. Belongs to the group of giants. Birds served as breeding material for the creation of large meat pigeon breeds. The Romans have an oblong body, a wide chest, long flight feathers on the wings and a long tail. The plumage of the Roman giants can be gray, fawn, motley, white. The Romans weigh 1-1.33 kg.

Pros and consquickly gain weight;rarely get sick;can be used to improve other breeds.gullible, but pugnacious character;low fecundity (5-9 chicks per year).I like it I don't like it

Carnot

This is a French giant pigeon breed for captive keeping. The birds have a compact body, a wide chest, and a raised short tail. Carnot weigh about 600 grams. The plumage is variegated, fawn, white, black.

Pros and consprecocity;the female incubates about 16 chicks per season;carnots are adapted for breeding in enclosures.unattractive appearance (not bred as a decorative breed);high price.I like it I don't like it

Monden

This is one of the best French giant meat breeds. Bred in the south of France in the town of Mont-de-Marsan. Adult mondens weigh almost 1.3 kg. Pigeons gain 500 grams by 2 months. Birds may have gray, white, fawn plumage.Monden have a compact body and a wide chest.

Pros and consprecocity;the ability to cross with other breeds to improve their productivity.high price for a pair;low decoration.I like it I don't like it

Polish lynx

This breed from the meat group was bred in Poland in the 19th century. Birds are valued for meat characteristics and decorativeness. The Polish lynx weighs about 750 grams. The plumage may be gray, with iridescent green feathers on the neck and a black transverse band on the tail. The Poles have a compact body, a wide chest.

Pros and consdecorative;fast weight gain;fertility.high price for a pair;low flying qualities.I like it I don't like it

Prachensky Canik

This is an old Czech pigeon breed from the meat group. Birds are bred for meat in Eastern Europe. Czechs weigh about 550-750 grams.

Pros and consprecocity;fertility.high price for a pair;rare breed.I like it I don't like it

Modena, or Modena pigeon

These are Italian pigeons bred in the North of Italy, in the town of Modena. When breeding Modena birds, Asian breeds were not used. According to morphological features, modenas belong to the group of colored chicken-like pigeons. They weigh about 750-950 grams. The birds have a wide convex chest, plumage is white or other colors.

Pros and consprecocity;fertility.high price for a pair;low decorative characteristics.I like it I don't like itFinal ranking tableStrasseronekingTexanRoman giantCarnotMondenpolish lynxPrachensky canicModena, or Modena pigeon

Subtleties of keeping and breeding

Meat breeds almost do not fly, quickly get used to dovecotes and, with good feeding, never leave their habitat. Birds don't like to sleep on the floor. In dovecotes, they equip perches near the ceiling. There should be nests in the room. They are also placed on high ground. Straw is laid on the floor, which is removed as it gets dirty. Pigeons usually only spend the night in the dovecote. They spend the whole day outside. Near the dovecote, they equip a walking yard fenced with a net with a feeder, a drinking bowl, sand and a bath for bathing.

Birds eat crushed grains (corn, rice, wheat, barley, oats), and after eating they immediately drink water, like to swim and wallow in the sun.Food from the pharynx through the esophagus enters the goiter, where it softens. Glands on the walls of this organ secrete special milk, which pigeons feed their chicks.

For a quick weight gain, the birds are given boiled potatoes, wet mash, chopped carrots, pumpkin. The diet of pigeons should contain greens, fish, meat and bone meal, s alt, chalk, yeast, fish oil. Birds can be fed with industrial products (compound feed in granules, meal, cake).

Pigeons can mate with representatives of their own or another breed. Crossbreeding of different groups is practiced to improve meat productivity. It is undesirable to mate close relatives. For crossing, it is recommended to select large chicks, subsequently the offspring will have a large body weight.

Growing methods

There are two main ways to raise meat pigeons - extensive and intensive. On an industrial scale, birds are kept in cages and intensively fed so that they gain the desired weight as quickly as possible.

Extensive

This rearing method resembles the natural habitat of pigeons. Birds spend the night in dovecotes, and spend the whole day outside, on a walking area. Extensive method suitable for domestic pigeon breeding.

Pros and conspigeons take sunbaths, eat fresh greens, move a lot;birds rarely get sick.gain weight more slowlymore feed is spent on keeping birds.

Intense

The intensive fattening method is suitable for giant beef breeds. Pigeons are put in cages and fed 4 times a day with nutritious food (cereals, wet mash, boiled potatoes) and vitamins. For a month, birds gain almost 0.5 kg of weight.

Pros and conspigeons recover quickly;in just a month, birds can be sent for slaughter;resulting in tender and fatty meat.with a sedentary lifestyle, birds can get sick;when keeping pigeons in rooms closed from sunlight, the development of pathologies is possible.

Slaughtering meat pigeons

Birds are sent for slaughter when they weigh at least 500 grams. Meat breeds are distinguished by precocity. In just two months of life, they gain 0.5 kg. At six months, pigeons begin to rush. If the poultry farmer plans to breed pigeons on his own, then it is recommended to leave several large individuals for breeding. The productivity of birds in terms of reproduction remains up to 6 years.

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